The street looked as lively as always. Only this time, the number of people gathered were more than I had ever seen before. Hundreds of tiny silhouettes of people could be seen from a mile away. All these shadowy figures were huddled around the Hussainabad Clock Tower. Built in 1881 as a replica of London’s Big Ben, it is one of the largest clock towers of India. The Hussainabad Clock Tower, being adjacent to the Rumi Darwaza was once an image of the colonial powers clawing their hands into Lucknow. As the silhouettes come closer, placards and signs lying around come into view. The loud chants of “Azadi” pierced the morning mist far better than the sun could manage. Even in this chilly a morning, one could see nothing but protestors all around. When I showed curiosity, an old woman told me that they have been sitting here for weeks and will not move till their demands are met.
“Is faseewaad sarkaar ko ye asamvaidhanik, sampradayik kanoon hatana hoga. Is sarkaar ko jhukna hoga. Hamne angrezon ko khaded dala to ye Sarkar to phir bhi hamari naukar hai.”
Roughly translating to “This fascist government must repeal this unconstitutional, communal law. This government must bend. We are the people who dragged our British masters through dirt, so the government must remember that it is still our servant.”
The rage in her eyes while speaking these words turned a frosty January morning to a hot July afternoon. In a country with rampant corruption, apathetic masses and goonda politicians, an act of dissent is considered an act of rebellion. But the people of India, like their forefathers, have once again stood against tyranny and in the true spirit of democracy, they have expressed their dissent to protect the very same democracy. The Indian has once again rebelled.
Local shopkeepers, street-side vendors and small businessmen too, have joined in to contribute in whatever small ways they can. They give the people free food, water, warm blankets and whatever they can manage. And in doing so, they ensure that the backbone of the movement remains strong. The economically marginalized in a symbolic shift becomes the economic provider. An interesting aspect of this sit-in is that the number of women participating far outnumber the men. In a country deeply entrenched in patriarchy, where not just the positions of power but also the revolutions to overthrow that power have been dominated by men, this revolution stands in open rebellion to all of them. The sit-in was started by old women and is being led by the youngest of them. Young girls not above the age of 8 with their hair tied in ponytails and voices bolder than most grown men were raising slogans of Inquilab while taking names of Durga Devi, Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh. The Hussainabad clock tower once symbolized the epitome of patriarchal colonial powers, today it is being reclaimed by marginalized, strong willed, Muslim and above all Indian women.
“Is faseewaad sarkaar ko ye asamvaidhanik, sampradayik kanoon hatana hoga. Is sarkaar ko jhukna hoga. Hamne angrezon ko khaded dala to ye Sarkar to phir bhi hamari naukar hai.”
Roughly translating to “This fascist government must repeal this unconstitutional, communal law. This government must bend. We threw our colonial masters away, and the government is nothing but our servant.”
The rage in her eyes while saying these words turned a chilly January morning to a hot July afternoon. The dadis’ will had turned cynics to the cause too. People who once questioned the motive of protests were now providing free food to the protestors, streetside vendors who barely earned enough to feed their families were giving away food for free. Young girls not above the age of 8 were raising slogans of Inquilab while taking names of Durga Devi, Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh. The Hussainabad clock tower once symbolized the epitome of patriarchal colonial powers, today it is being reclaimed by marginalized, strong willed, Muslim and above all Indian women.
Nonlensical 